The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to aquarium filtration apparatus, and more particularly to an external filter having a housing with a bracket portion for hanging on the outside of an upper edge of the aquarium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art external filters have generally included an intake tube, commonly referred to as a siphon tube for drawing water from the aquarium into the filter housing. A discharge tube was utilized, in conjunction with a pump means, to remove the filtered water from within the filter housing for return to the aquarium. One such aquarium filter is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,081 to Willinger, issued May 23, 1967. With an intake tube or siphon tube, the tube is in the form of an inverted generally J-shaped tube, the long end of which extends into the water of the aquarium with the short end being directed into the filter housing with the intake tube being hung over the bracket portion of the filter housing. With such siphon tubes, a hand-operated auxiliary pump is normally employed to draw the water from the aquarium over the highest point in the intake tube to commence the siphoning action. With such siphon systems, when the water level is low within the aquarium itself, a slight dislocation of the siphon tube results in the breaking of the siphoning action. Since the intake tube is generally just suspended over the edge, the fish within the aquarium often times contact the siphon tube, thereby dislocating it an amount sufficient to break the siphon. Such filtration apparatus is not self-priming and as a consequence, the filter pump can be operating without water being drawn into the filter housing. When this operates for any extended length of time without being noticed by the owner of the aquarium, the aquarium water can become debris-laden very rapidly resulting in a cloudy texture for the water with a corresponding detriment to the inhabitants of the aquarium and damage to the pump.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved aquarium filtration apparatus.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved aquarium filtration apparatus having a single intake tube for drawing water into the filter.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved filter having an intake assembly including a filter chamber.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a cover for the filter including a visible indicator to indicate an abnormal level of water within the filter.